How to Make The Most of the Second Half of Summer!

Now I know not all of us share the same school-year calendar…. but for those of us whose kids start school after Labor Day and don’t end until the last week of June- we’ve just officially hit the mid-point of summer! And yes, I keep nodding my head along with all of my friends that this summer is “just flying by”, but I refuse to even talk about the fact that “summer is nearly over”. ‘Cuz it’s not…. we’re only halfway through- and I am a “glass is half-full” kind of person! So in recognition of today’s date of August 1st, it is time to re-focus and set the right tone…. so that we can make the most of the second half of summer!

Set Your Intentions

When you look back on this summer, what do you want to be able to remember about it? Some fun outings with your kids? Lazy afternoons spent at the local town pool? A fun day at a waterpark? A picnic at the beach? Or maybe a great weekend away? Well it is not too late to make some plans and set some goals for the summer! Sit down and make a list of the few things you’d like to still do this summer…. go ahead- I’ll wait!

Take Those Ideas- Lock Them In!

Make reservations, book the babysitter, buy the book- whatever your goals are…. “commit” yourself by getting it on the calendar, and making the appointment or reservation. Once you’ve made that first step- you’ll follow through and actually do the thing that you are wanting to do! (But on the flip side- if you don’t take that first step and make the reservation…. the days will just keep “getting away from you”, and the next thing you know, summer WILL be over!)

Find a “Zen” Spot

…so you can grab a few moments of peace and quiet for yourself- whenever you can find a few minutes! For me, there are two places where I can go outside and sit down, and pretty much instantly relax. One of the them is on my front porch, in my rocking chair right near the hummingbird feeder. I can rock a little, watch the hummingbirds come and go, all while keeping an eye on my kids while they are playing in the front yard. The other place is on our back deck. I purchased two lounge chairs and an umbrella at Target a few years ago (a gift to myself for Mother’s Day!), and I can relax in the chair and chat with my husband while he mans the BBQ grill or tends to his beehives. Even if I can only fund 15 minutes to actually sit down in one of these “zen places”…. they instantly re-charge me!

Ignore the Back to School Hype for as Long as Possible!

It started right after the 4th of July….. the newspaper circulars, the television commercials- all of it announcing that back to school is just around the corner. But these reminders are just the biggest summer buzz-kill around! And we don’t need 6-8 weeks to prepare for the start of school! Yes, we’ll need to make sure that the kids have the necessary school supplies- which we can accomplish in just a few hours at Target…. but for goodness sakes we don’t need to buy them an entirely new wardrobe now- because it will still be 90 degrees outside when they start school! So try to not pay too much attention to the back to school hype…. instead- focus on making the most of your summer! (And buy all of the new cool fall clothes for your kids in late Spetember when they are 50% off!)

Ease Your Mind by Writing It Down

It is hard to focus on enjoying your summer when the emails are flying into your inbox containing school district calendars, after school activity schedules, sports schedules, and requests for volunteers for various committees at school. Get all of this off of your mind and down in your calendar and on your fall to-do list… and then forget about it! If nothing else, just create a new folder in your email account called “Fall Stuff” and move all of those emails to that folder to deal with AFTER Labor Day!

I wish all of you a very wonderful second half of summer!

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